Apparatus for developing photographic material



April 28 19 70 A. a. WEI ID.IER' ETAL 3,508,483

APPARATUS FOR DE VEL OPiNG .PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed July 26, 19 67 ZSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ROLF HANGER ACHILLE B. WEIDER Apr-i128, 1970 3,508,48

APPARATUS "FOR DEVELOPING- PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed July 26. 1967 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ROLF HANGER flCH/LLE a. WEIDER n n-ok/veY United States Patent 3,508,483 APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Achille B. Weider, 21 Leonhardhalde, and Rolf Hanger, Untere Zaune 17, both of Zurich, Switzerland Filed July 26, 1967, Ser. No. 656,190 Int. 'Cl. G03d 3/06 U.S. CI. 95-96 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Inapparatus for developing photographic material, particularly for colour photography, a number of storage receptacles for different treatment liquids are provided and are connected by the intermediary of a valve arrangement to a closed developing compartment. The valve arrangement controls a closed conduit system including individual supply conduits from each storage receptacle to the valve arrangement, and a single supply conduit from the valve arrangement to said developing compartment for selectively establishing communication between any one of said storage receptacles and said developing compartment. The supply of treatment liquid from said storage receptacles to said developing compartment is effected by means of an inert propellant gas, selective feeding of the inert gas to said receptacles being also controlled by said valve arrangement. Provision is made for scavening said developing compartment and said closed conduit system for treatment liquids by an inert gas, whereby the treatment liquids never make contact with atmospheric oxygen.

This invention relates to apparatus for developing photographic material, particularly for colour photography, of the type using a developing container which according to developing prescriptions is successively supplied with diiferent treatment liquids contained in a plurality of storage receptacles.

In conventional developing apparatus of this type, the photographic material usually is carried by a rotating drum in the developing compartment. The various treatment baths are contained in supply receptacles from each of which a supply conduit leads to the developing compartment. Each supply conduit is provided with valves and with a pump for delivering treatment liquid. Heating devices are provided for adjusting the bath temperatures to the required degree, and a light source for exposure of the photographic material in view of reversing development may be provided in the developing compartment. Control of such apparatus can be etfected for example automatically be punched cards. After finishing the developing and washing of the material, the latter is removed from the developing compartment for drying purposes.

In order to always obtain satisfactory results, such known apparatus requires considerable expenditure. Delivery of the treatment liquids into the developing compartments is effected by means of special pumps, and since a particular pump is required for each treatment bath, the occurrence of breakdowns in apparatus using a considerable number of baths is comparatively frequent. An essential drawback of such known apparatus resides in the fact that the treatment liquids which are sensitive to oxidation make contact with atmospheric oxygen, and such oxidation of the liquid is substantially intensified owing to movement of the rotating drum carrying the photographic material, so that the baths are soon exhausted. Residue of a bath liquid remaining in the developing compartment or in the conduits making contact with other treatment liquids are detrimental to the subsequent bath, so that an early exhaustion of the bath will result or an 3,508,483 Patented Apr. 28, 1970 extensive rinsing of all parts of the apparatus coming in contact with the baths is required. Also the attachment of the photographic material on the drum and particularly the removal of the wet material from the drum often results in damaging the same.

It is an object of the present invention to provide developing apparatus, particularly for colour photography material in which the different treatment liquids never make contact with atmospheric oxygen and cannot intermingle, whereby to ensure their stability over a long period of time, and due to absence of any contamination, obtain a constant uniform quality of the developed images. According to the invention, apparatus for developing photographic material of the type using a developing container which according to developing prescriptions is successively supplied with different treatment liquids contained in a plurality of storage receptacles, comprises a valve arrangement, individual liquid supply conduits, between each of said storage receptacles and said valve arrangement, a common supply conduit connecting said valve arrangement with said developing container, means in said valve arrangement for selectively connecting said common supply conduit to any of said individual supply conduits leading from said storage receptacles to said valve arrangement, an inert propellant gas supply connected to said valve arrangement, means in said ,valve arrangement for selectively connecting said storage receptacles to said inert gas supply to pneumatically deliver treatment liquid from said storage receptacles to said developing container, and means for feeding inert gas to said developing container for maintaining the the treatment liquids therein under an inert gaseous atmosphere.

A preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically a developing apparatus for photographic material,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a multiple way valve suitable for the apparatus according to FIG. 1,

FIGURE 3 is a section through the valve along the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the various liquids of the baths are contained in receptacles 1 disposed below a developing container 2 which can be closed by a cover member 2', so that the return of the bath solutions from the developing container 2 to the receptacles 1 will take place owing to gravity. The bath receptacles 1 are hermetically closed, and each receptacle is provided with a cover member 3 which may be applied by means of any suitable closure device and interposition of a rubber gasket against the upper edge of the receptacle. A conduit 4 supplying the bath solution traverses the cover 3 of each receptacle and extends until close to the bottom thereof. A further conduit 5 for the supply of a propellant gas opens into each receptacle at the cover 3. The liquid and gas conduits 4 and 5 lead to a valve arrangement 6 which is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The valve arrangement 6 comprises a shaft 11 which is rotatably mounted in two bearings 15. The shaft 11 carries a cylindrical casing 7 fixedly mounted by its bottom 8 and its top 22 between the two bearings 15. The bottom 8 of the casing 7 is provided with a plurality of relatively large pipe nipples 9 which are uniformly spaced along a concentric circular line of the bottom. The nipples are so inserted into the bottom 8 that their upper edge 9 slightly projects over the inner face of the bottom. The bottom 8 is further provided with a plurality of nipples 10 of smaller diameter than the nipples 9, there being an equal number of nipples 9 and 10. The nipples 9 also are equally spaced in circumferential direction and are all situated at the same radial distance from the nipples 9. The upper edges of the 3 nipples also project above the inner face of the bottom 8. The upper edges of all nipples 9 and 10 are situated in the same plane at right angles to the axis of the casing 7. At the exterior of the casing the larger nipples 9 are connected to the liquid conduits 4 and the smaller receptacles 1 (FIG. 1).

A distributor disc 13 is arranged within the casing 7 and carries a hollow cylinder 12 along its circumference. The distributor disc 13 is fixed to a collar 14 which is axially movable on the shaft 11 but mounted for rotation with the shaft. The distributor disc carries a larger nipple 16 and a smaller nipple 17 which corresponds in size to the nipples 9 and 10, respectively in the bottom 8 of the casing, and are situated at the same radial distance from the axis of the shaft 11 as the corresponding nipples 9 and 10. A fiat annular sealing member 18, for example of polytetrafiuorethylene or neoprene, is attached to the lower face of the distributor disc 13 and arranged to close the openings of the nipples 9 and 10 when the disc 13 is axially moved towards the bottom 8 of the casing. The sealing ring 18 is provided with openings 16 and 17' which are axially aligned with the nipples 16 and 17. Movement of the distributor disc 13 towards the bottom 8 to urge the sealing ring 18 against the nipples 9 and 10 is effected by means of a pressure plate 19 which is slidably engaged on guide bolts 20 extending between the cylinder 12 and the side wall of the casing 7 and secured to the bottom 8 and top '22 of the casing. An inflatable annular tube 21 is disposed between the top cover 22 and the pressure plate 19, this tube 21, when inflated acting on the pressure plate 19 on top of the cylinder 12 and pushes the cylinder downwardly together with the distributor disc 13 to apply the sealing ring 18 in tight engagement with the upper end of the nipples 9" and 10.

The shaft 11 is provided with a first axial bore 25 which communicates at its upper end by a radial tube 26 and a flexible tube 27 with the nipple 17, and at its lower end with an annular groove 23 in the bearing 15, this groove 23 being connected by a nipple 24 with a conduit 32 (FIG. 1). A closed conduit is thus formed from the nipple 24, annular groove 23, bore 25, tube 27, nipple 17, nipple 10 and one of the gas conduits 5 (FIG. 1) to one of the bath containing receptacles 1, when the distributor disc 13 is in a position in which the pair of nipples 16 and 17 is in alignment with one pair of nipples 9, 10 of the casing 1.

A second axial bore 28, extending inwardly from the top end of the shaft 11, communicates by means of a pipe socket 29 and a flexible tube 31 with the larger nipple 16 on the distributor disc 13. The open upper end of the shaft 11 is connected with a pipe socket which in turn is arranged for connection with a supply conduit 33 (FIG. 1) leading to the developing container 2.

The developing container 2 is provided with double walls forming an outer jacket 2". A vent pipe 34 opens into the jacket 2", while a vent pipe 35 traverses the jacket and opens into a space 61 above the developing compartment 39 in the container 2. The pipe 35 is provided with a hole 62 opening into the jacket 2". Opposite the opening of the vent pipe 34 into the jacket 2", the internal wall 63 of the jacket is provided with an opening controlled by a hinged closure flap 36 which preferably is operated by an electromagnet and which flap in one position closes the opening in the wall 63, and in its other position closes the jacket space. A motor driven blower 37 supplies an air current which is heated by a heating device 38. This air current, according .to the position of the closure flap 36, can either flow through the jacket space 2" to warm up the container 2, or into the interior of the container for drying the photographic material 42 contained therein. The interior of the container 2 is divided by transparent walls into three chambers 43 in which light sources 44 are disposed for reversal exposure. Between the two outer chambers and surrounding the middle chamber 43, there is arranged the developing compartment 39 in which the photographic material to be processed is suspended. The supply conduit 33 opens into the bottom 64 of the developing compartment 39, this bottom being slightly inclined from the outer edges of the compartment 39 towards the opening of the conduit 33 in order to provide for emptying the developing compartment by gravity flow. A pipe system 41 having a great number of small bores is arranged just above the bottom 64 of the compartment 39, this pipe system being connected by a gas conduit 45 and a valve 46, which preferably is electromagnetically operated, to the propellant gas supply. The propellant gas may be nitrogen furnished by a pressure gas bottle 47. The gas discharged from the bottle flows through a heater 48 and a pressure reduction valve 60 to the conduit 45 leading to the pipe system 41 in the developing compartment 39, and/or, according to requirements, through an electromagnetically operated valve 49 and a gas conduit 32 into the valve arrangement 6 which controls the supply of gas through the gas conduits 5 to the various supply receptacles 1.

One of the nipples 9 of the valve arrangement 6 is connected by means of a conduit 51 and a three-way valve 50 to a water supply 52 formed by a hot and cold water mixing fixture for adjusting the temperature of the supplied water. The smaller nipple 10 associated with said one nipple 9 is closed and not operating.

All bath receptacles 1 are heated by means of an electric heating coil 53 and the temperature of the liquid is controlled by a thermostat 54.

The movable parts of the valve assembly 6, Le. the distributing disc 13 and the shaft 11, are rotated by a motor 55.

The described developing apparatus includes a program control 56 using, for example, coded punched cards 57 for controlling the operation of the motor 55 actuating the valve arrangement 6, the blower 37 with its heating device 38, the closure flap 36, the thermostats 54 in the bath receptacles 1 and all valves according to a predetermined developing program for the photographic material. The broken lines in FIG. 1 indicate the control connection between the program control device 56 and the various elements to be operated.

In operating the described apparatus, the photographic material 42 to be developed is suspended in the developing compartment 39 and remains at rest therein until it has been dried after the developing process. Since the photographic material is not moved at all during the entire developing process, even the slightest damaging of the material is practically excluded. After having suspended the photographic material in the compartment 39, the cover 2 of the container 2 is closed and the container connected by the valve arrangement 6, for example with the first receptacle 1. The valve 49 in the propellant gas conduit 32 and a valve 58 in the supply conduit 33 are opened, so that nitrogen under pressure flows from the gas bottle 47 into the receptacle 1 and expels liquid from the receptacle through the conduit 4, the valve arrangement 6 and the supply conduit 33 into the developing compartment 39.

When the compartment 39 is sufiiciently filled, the valves 49 and 58 are closed. By opening the valve 46, small quantities of nitrogen are discharged through the fine bores in the pipe system 41 in the compartment 39 and maintain the liquid therein in constant agitation, so that a uniform developing of the stationary photographic material is obtained. After finishing of the first developing process, the valve 58 of the supply conduit 33 and a vent valve 59 of the gas conduit 32, opening into the atmosphere, are opened, so that the liquid from compartment 39 can return through conduit 4 into the receptacle 1. Afterwards, both valves 58 and 59 are closed again. During this first stage of the developing process, the liquid of the bath never makes any contact with atmospheric oxygen and it is still protected by the nitrogen present in the receptacle 1.

For successive washing of the photographic material, the valve arrangement is correspondingly adjusted. The shaft 11 is turned to move the distributing disc 13 with the sealing ring 18 applied against the nipples 9 and 10, until the nipple 16 arrives in alignment with that nipple 9 which is connected to the Water supply conduit 51 (FIG. 1). Now the valves 50 and 58 are opened and water flows through the conduit 51, the nipple 16, the flexible tube 31, the bore 28, the pipe socket 30, the supply conduit 33 and the valve 58 (FIG. 1) into the developing compartment 39. When the valve 50 is operated to open the discharge 65, the washing liquid from the compartment 39 flows in the oposite direction along the same path and is discharged through 65. By repeated operation of the valve 50 to connect the water supply 52 with the valve arrangement 6 and the developing compartment 39, and successively to connect the compartment 39 and 'valve arrangement 6 with the discharge 65, an effective washing of the photographic material and rinsing of the conduits is obtained, so that all residues of the first treatment bath which may have remained in the conduit system will be completely removed. The supply of other treatment liquids to the compartment 39 containing the photographic material will be efiected in the same manner as explained above.

After the final washing treatment of the material, the control flap 36 is pivoted out of the position indicated in FIG. 1 and moved to its second position in which it shuts ofl the jacket 2; warm air is then blown into the space 61 above the developing compartment 39 by the blower 37, until the photographic material is dry, which subsequently is removed from the compartment 39.

It results from the foregoing description of a preferred example of the invention, that the liquids of the treatment baths containing the chemicals never make contact with atmospheric oxygen owing to pneumatic displacement of them and scavenging of the developing compartment with nitrogen. In the valve arrangement 6, any mixture of treatment liquid supplied through one of the nipples 9 with another treatment liquid of different type supplied through another nipple 9, is practically impossible, and a contamination of treatment liquids in the common conduits by residues of previously delivered liquids is also excluded, since such common conduit portions are scavenged with nitrogen after each processing of the photographic material with a liquid bath.

The construction of the apparatus according to the invention is simple and inexpensive, permitting its efiicient use not only with big automatic program-controlled developing apparatus, but also with smaller, manually operated devices.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for developing photographic material, particularly for colour photography, using a developing container which according to developing prescriptions is successively supplied with different treatment liquids contained in a plurality of storage receptacles, comprising a valve arrangement, individual liquid supply conduits between each of said storage receptacles and said valve arrangement, a common supply conduit connecting said valve arrangement with said developing container, means in said valve arrangement for selectively connecting said common supply conduit to any of said individual supply conduits leading from said storage receptacles to said valve arrangement, an inert propellant gas supply connected to said valve arrangement, means in said valve arrangement for selectively connecting said storage receptacles to said inert gas supply to pneumatically deliver treatment liquid from said storage receptacles to said developing container, and means for feeding inert gas to said developing container for maintaining the treatment liquids therein under an inert gaseous atmosphere, the

developing container having a developingcompartment communicating by means of a gas conduit including valve means with said inert gas supply and said developing compartment having pipe means adjacent the bottom of said compartment and connected to said gas conduit, said pipe means being provided with perforations for discharging inert gas into said developing compartment.

2. An apparatus for developing photographic material, particularly for colour photography, using a developing container which according to developing prescriptions is successively supplied with different treatment liquids contained in a plurality of storage receptacles, comprising a valve arrangement, individual liquid supply conduits between each of said storage receptacles and said valve arrangement, a common supply conduit connecting said valve arrangernent with said developing container, means in said valve arrange-ment for selectively connecting said common supply conduit to any of said individual supply conduits leading from said storage receptacles to said valve arrangement, an inert propellant gas supply connected to said valve arrangement, means in said valve arrangement for selectively connecting said storage receptacles to said inert gas supply to pneumatically deliver treatment liquid from said storage receptacles to said de veloping container, and means for feeding inert gas to said developing container for maintaining the treatment liquids therein under an inert gaseous atmosphere, the developing container having a developing compartment communicating by means of a gas conduit including valve means with said inert gas supply, said developing container being provided with a double wall to form a jacket surrounding said developing compartment, a conduit for supplying warm air opening into said jacket, the inner Wall of said jacket being provided with an opening in the region entry of said air conduit into the jacket, and a control flap being mounted in said. jacket and adapted to occupy either one of two positions, in one position said control flap closing said opening in said inner wall of the jacket to direct the warm air into the jacket, and in the other position said flap closing the communication of said jacket with said air supply conduit and directing the air into said developing compartment for venting purposes.

3. An apparatus for developing photographic material, particularly for colour photography, using a developing container which according to developing prescriptions is successively supplied with different treatment liquids contained in a plurality of storage receptacles, comprising a valve arrangement, individual liquid supply conduits between each of said storage receptacles and said valve arrangement, a common supply conduit connecting said valve arrangement With said developing container, means in said valve arrangement for selectively connecting said common supply conduit to any of said individual supply conduits leading from said storage receptacles to said valve arrangement, an inert propellant gas supply connected to said valve arrangement, means in said valve arrangement for selectively connecting said storage receptacles to said inert gas supply to pneumatically deliver treatment liquid fromsaid storage receptacles to said developing container, and means for feeding inert gas to said developing container for maintaining the treatment liquids therein under an inert gaseous atmosphere, and propellant gas supply conduits being connected to each of said storage receptacles, said valve arrangement being adapted for selectively connecting each gas supply conduit with said propellant gas supply, said means in the valve arrangement for selectively connecting said individual liquid supply conduits to said common supply conduit coacting with said means for selectively connecting said storage receptacles to said inert gas supply, so that when said valve arrangement establishes communication between one of said storage receptacles and said supply conduit to said developing container, the gas supply conduit leading to said one storage receptacle is also connected to said inert gas supply, said valve arrangeemnt having a rotary disc valve controlling two separate fluid passages, one of said fluid passages establishing communication between said propellant gas supply conduits and said gas supply and the other fluid passage establishing communication between said supply conduit leading to said developing container and said individual liquid supply conduits and a rinsing liquid conduit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said rotary disc valve comprises a casing having a bottom wall provided with a plurality of first fittings arranged along a circular line for connection of said individual supply conduits and said rinsing liquid conduit, said bottom wall being further provided with a plurality of second fittings for connection of said propellant gas supply conduits leading to said storage receptacles, said second fittings being located at a uniform radial distance from said first fittings, and a rotary shaft mounted in said casing and having its two ends extending out of said casing said ends each being provided with an axial bore, said distributing member having a liquid passage adapted to selectively establishing communication between said first fittings and one of said axial bores at one end of said shaft, and a gas passage selectively establishing communication between said second fittings and the other of said axial bores.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said casing is provided with a fixed cover member and said distributing member carries a pressure plate underneath said cover member, an inflatable annular'member being disposed between said cover member and said pressure plate, said distributing member being axially movable on said rotary shaft, whereby inflation of said inflatable member causes axial movement of said distributing member to apply said member provided with a sealing ring, into sealing engagement with said first and second fittings in said bottom wall of the valve casing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,825,443 9/1931 Chormann et a1. 137256 3,000,288 9/1961 Winnek 95'-96 3,377,938 4/1968 Patterson 95-89 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner R. W. ADAMS, Assistant Examiner 

